Leadership Lessons from the “Coaching Legend” of Softball: Podcast #26
Recently I had the privilege to discuss leadership lessons with Sue Enquist, who holds more National Championships (11) than anyone in the history of softball. She is UCLA Softball’s first athletic scholarship, All-American, National Champion, and Hall of Famer. Off the softball field, Sue is a dynamic communicator and has gained the reputation as a highly sought after international speaker.
Coach John Cailipari’s Approach: Is it Good or Bad in the Long Run?
Follow @TimElmore March Madness is upon us, and the University of Kentucky is 34-0 and not done. So say their blue t-shirts. Many expect them to finish the season undefeated as NCAA champions. It certainly looks likely. They are to be commended. Coach Calipari is a recruiting machine, and has an unusual way of developing talent. Let’s assess John Calipari’s approach to
Three Realities that Foster Risky Behavior (Part 2)
By now, you’ve likely seen the viral video, released by a student at Oklahoma University. It was awful. Two members at Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity were dismissed and sent home. That video, filled with racist remarks, was a wake-up call for these young men. Today, the fraternity on that campus has been shut down, the staff was fired and members
Enabling Students to Navigate Risks (Part 1)
I recently heard three news stories, each a narrative about students “acting out” both on and off the campus. What do these stories have in common? A skateboarder was hit and killed by a train at a railroad crossing when he tried to beat the train while riding across the tracks. Parents of a 19-year old student negotiated with a local community
Two Essential Ingredients to Form a Young Leader
Follow @TimElmore Check out our new FREE video series, The Missing Piece to Career Readiness, where we discuss why students aren't graduating career ready and how adults can help them prepare before leaving school. Get Free Access Here In 2011, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates gave his final speech at West Point. It was a strong and clear farewell, but one that posed the question: How will
What Educators Can Learn From Major Brands
For years, I have advocated something taught by futurist Dr. Leonard Sweet. In his book, The Gospel According to Starbucks, he suggests that youth today make up an EPIC Generation: they are Experiential, Participatory, Image-rich and Connected. I regularly ask faculty members this question: How EPIC is your classroom? I believe the more EPIC we are, the better chances we’ll have
One Way To Motivate Students to Go to Class
Follow @TimElmore OK—this topic is worth discussion and debate. After reading an article about a new app for parents, teachers, and college students, I felt mixed emotions. Do you remember your college days? How many classes did you skip? If you’re like most university students, it’s more than you can remember. When I think on my years in college, I recall attending
The Legacy of Coach Dean Smith
On February 7, 2015, Coach Dean Smith passed away. Several people have written remembrances of him, his coaching style, and his values. The Basketball Hall of Fame called Dean Smith a “coaching legend.” My friend Tim Spiker is the son of former North Carolina Athletic Director John Spiker. Although he was young, he shared these words with me about his memories
One Big Surprise I Got in My Internship
(The following article is from Tina Mata, who serves as an intern with us at Growing Leaders. She came as a college graduate, serving the months before her graduate work begins. Thanks, Tina, for the candid insights on your internship!) It wasn’t until I joined the Growing Leaders team as in Intern in August of 2014 that I was able to
Four Shifts That Mark a Generation of Free Agents
Back in 1969, Curt Flood, centerfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, ushered in “free agency” for professional ballplayers. Up until that year, players were bound to a team for life by the so-called “reserve clause”. Simply put, a player was a team’s property. But thanks to Curt Flood’s lawsuit, players were considered talent for hire from that point on. Both
The Single Biggest Mistake Employers Make in Hiring Millennials
I just hung up the phone with a business executive who’s a dear friend of mine. He was angry about a recent hire he’d made — not so much with the young professional he hired, but with himself. In his determination to find a recent graduate with some hard skills (technical competencies), he overlooked a major soft skill that was
My Sweet Time in Hershey, Pennsylvania
Follow @TimElmore Recently, I had the privilege of visiting the Milton Hershey School in Hershey, PA. It had been years since I’d been to that city, and frankly, I didn’t know if it had any value to add except great chocolate bars. Boy, was I wrong. Way back in 1909, Milton Hershey and his wife decided that since they couldn’t have children
Be Careful of the Ironies in Your Life
History is full of irony. Consider some of the more famous statements leader’s have made and how’s it’s come back to haunt them later: • “We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out." -Decca Recording Company, declining to sign the Beatles, 1962. • “This telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication.